When Natural Disaster Strikes, Where Do People Go For Mental Health Care?

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida early this month as a Category 3 hurricane, wreaking havoc across the state. Milton brought with it extreme winds, heavy rains, and tornadoes that left a path of destruction.

At least 17 people in Florida were killed. More than 400,000 people are still without power, with some telling PS that plenty are without internet too nearly a week after the storm. Milton hit Florida just days after Hurricane Helene made landfall, leaving some state residents forced to deal with back-to-back blows from Mother Nature.

But as residents try to recover from yet another severe storm, mental health providers are continuing to provide care. "Providing mental health through these times is very important," says Kelly C. Richards, MS, a licensed mental health counselor at Unity Counseling of SWFL. "A lot of people are feeling anxious."

Here's how Richards and two of her fellow mental health providers are continuing to help patients in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

Kelly C. Richards, MS, is a licensed mental health counselor at Unity Counseling of SWFL.

Charles Davenport, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist at Davenport Psychology.

Jackie Sager, is a licensed mental health counselor at Rise Above Counseling Services of Tampa Bay.

Charles Davenport, PsyD, is a psychologist in Venice, Florida, who has been in practice for nearly two decades. Access to power is an issue in his area, so his team has had to get creative, offering a hybrid of telehealth and in-person appointments at another office that has power.

"Since COVID and Hurricane Ian, we've really gotten used to using telehealth," he says. "We're going to continue to do that for people who can't come in." For in-office care, power is down in one of his offices, but Davenport says they've been routing those clients to another office location. "We're able to see patients there until the power is restored," he says. "We have enough treatment rooms to divert them down there."

Davenport says that a lot of his patients prefer to be seen in person, even though travel in some areas is difficult right now. "They're more familiar with the routine and more people want to see that right now," he says. "But telehealth is always a great option if you have power and connectivity."

Davenport stresses the importance of mental health providers continuing to provide care during this time. "Having some part of a familiar routine is really helpful in coping with the stress and maintaining our resilience," he says. "Usually there is a lot of new emotion, trauma, and shock. What they have experienced is a different level."

Davenport's practice is also allowing patients to pay reduced rates if they're struggling. "We have and will always offer reduced rates to current patients if they experience financial hardship so they can continue uninterrupted therapy," he says.

He also adds that the therapy itself has and will have to shift focus for some of his patients to address the trauma and impact at hand. "Usually in the short run, it's dealing with all of the acute stuff," he says. "In the long run, it's 'How do we pick back up and get back to where we were?'"

Jackie Sager, is a licensed mental health counselor at Rise Above Counseling Services of Tampa Bay, who started talking to her patients about the hurricane before it arrived to try to help them manage anxiety and practice coping skills.

"The hurricane was a trigger for prior trauma," she says. "Some folks experienced the same pain they had felt years before during a house fire, a car accident, or death of a loved one." Sager says that her office has maintained power and internet, but that hasn't been the case for all of her patients. So, she's trying to see the ones she can and letting others reschedule as needed.

Sager says she understands the importance of continuing to provide care during this time. "People experience fight or flight in various ways," she says. "They need to process their emotions." Through therapy, Sager says that they may move from irritable and absentminded to calm and in control. "The losses will continue to be felt and grief will set in," she says. "But people who struggle to adjust to the change may develop mental health problems."

Richards opened her own Naples, Florida practice two years ago. She's been checking in with patients over the phone and email after Hurricane Milton to make sure that their physical and mental health needs are being met, including if they have access to food and transportation.

"There was a lot of anxiety surrounding the hurricane," Richards says. "There has been a lot of anxiety, not only with my clients, but everybody in general has been really anxious."

Richards says she's been trying to provide consistent care for her patients as much as possible. "Some people are still in fight or flight mode," she says. "Mental health therapy can provide them the possibility of recalibrating their thermostat, so to speak."

Richards says that people who dealt with severe flooding, who lost loved ones, or who had extreme damage to their homes need extra support right now. "Coping skills for this are typically not something that they can pull out of their bag of tricks," she says. "A lot of clients regress." Because of that, Richards says, therapists need to be able to adapt quickly and adjust the treatment plan as needed.

Korin Miller is a writer specializing in general wellness, health, and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, Self, Health, Forbes, and more.